Thomas Mercier, VP International Sales and Business Development at associate member and connected vehicle data specialist ECHOES talks about a case study with ADA (a major rental company in France). Mercier describes how ADA used ECHOES for fleet security and how they intend to use ECHOES to help enhance the management of their fleet, by collecting mechanical alerts and real-time mileage.
In the rental industry, fleet security is a growing challenge. At ECHOES, we work closely with companies that face these issues every day, and ADA is a great example of how connected vehicle data can make a real difference.
ADA operates more than 500 local depots across France, managing a fleet of around 2,000 vehicles. Unlike many rental companies focused on airports and major travel hubs, ADA’s business revolves around local rental points, franchisees, and partnerships. But with that broad network comes a constant risk: theft and misuse of vehicles.
Before ADA began working with us, they faced repeated theft attempts each year. In 2023 alone, they recorded about 100 such incidents and were able to recover around 50% of those vehicles using a mix of traditional tracking tools and their local networks. But they needed something more reliable and scalable to protect their fleet.
That’s where we came in with CarLocate, our real-time vehicle tracking solution. What appealed to ADA was not just the accuracy, but also the simplicity of implementation. Instead of installing separate GPS hardware, CarLocate directly connects to the vehicle’s own data systems. This makes deployment faster and less disruptive - something that’s important when you're managing a fleet of this size.
Since ADA started using CarLocate, the results have been clear. They’ve seen recovery rates rise to about 90% for vehicles equipped with the solution. In a typical year, this means around 40 more vehicles are recovered that might have otherwise been lost. For a rental company, that has a significant financial and operational impact.
One of the reasons I believe this solution works so well is its ease of use. ADA’s small security team can quickly locate vehicles, respond to alerts, and coordinate recoveries without the delays and complexities of older systems. Every day, they monitor alerts for vehicles that cross national borders or exhibit unusual behaviour. When a franchisee reports a vehicle hasn’t been returned, the team can act immediately.
But vehicle theft isn’t the only challenge ADA faces. Increasingly, they’re also seeing issues related to driver negligence. Franchisees frequently deal with customers ignoring dashboard alerts, things like low tyre pressure, engine oil, or AdBlue levels. Unfortunately, these small warnings, if ignored, often lead to serious mechanical damage and costly disputes between the company and renters who claim they never saw any warning lights.
Looking ahead, we’re now exploring how ADA can use our technology not just for security, but to improve fleet management more broadly. By using connected vehicle data, they’ll be able to monitor for mechanical alerts in real time, respond before issues escalate, and ultimately protect both their vehicles and customer experience.
For me, this partnership really highlights the value of connected data. It’s not just about tracking stolen cars, it's about using real-time information to solve multiple operational challenges and make fleet management smarter, safer, and more efficient.
